Mailpiece creation systems such as mailpiece inserters and mailpiece wrappers are typically used by organizations such as banks, insurance companies, and utility companies to periodically produce a large volume of mail, e.g., monthly billing or shareholders income/dividend statements. In many respects, mailpiece inserters are analogous to automated assembly equipment inasmuch as sheets, inserts and envelopes are conveyed along a feed path and assembled in, or at, various modules of the mailpiece inserter. That is, the various modules work cooperatively to process the sheets until a finished mailpiece is produced.
Mailpiece inserters include a variety of apparatus/modules for conveying and processing a substrate/sheet material along the feed path. Commonly mailpiece inserters include apparatus/modules for (i) feeding and singulating printed content in a “feeder module”, (ii) accumulating the content to form a multi-sheet collation in an “accumulator”, (iii) folding the content to produce a variety of fold configurations such as a C-fold, Z-fold, bi-fold and gate fold, in a “folder”, (iv) feeding mailpiece inserts such as coupons, brochures, and pamphlets, in combination with the content, in a “chassis module” (v) inserting the folded/unfold and/or nested content into an envelope in an “envelope inserter”, (vi) sealing the filled envelope in “sealing module” and (vii) printing recipient/return addresses and/or postage indicia on the face of the mailpiece envelope at a “print station”.
In lieu of modules for inserting and/or sealing the content material into an “envelope”, some mailpiece creation systems employ a wrapping system operative to encapsulate the mailpiece content in an outer wrapping material or substrate. Therein, the content material is fed into a substrate/wrap having a pressure-activated adhesive deposited thereon to enclose/seal the content material in a tubular-shaped envelope wrap. More specifically, the content material is fed into a wrapping module which receives a supply of substrate material from a web of rolled material. Before being fed to the wrapping module, an adhesive application module deposits a polymeric adhesive in a predefined two-dimensional pattern on the substrate material. As the substrate material is folded by the wrapping system, an envelope pocket is produced for receipt of the content material.
More specifically, the supply of substrate material is fed from beneath the deck of the wrapping module and turned downstream to define an open-end for accepting a supply of content material. As the substrate and content material is pulled downstream, a one or more guides fold the substrate material inwardly such that the outboard edge portions overlap. Furthermore, a tube-shaped wrap is produced around the content material as the substrate material is drawn together downstream of the open end. The content-filled tubular structure then is passed under a series of pressure rollers to cause the pressure-activated adhesive to form a series of individual pockets having content material in each. Thereafter, the wrapping module includes a cutting roller to separate the content-filled pockets into separate envelopes.
To obtain the throughput advantages of a mailpiece creation system, and especially one employing a wrapping system, it is important to minimize the downtime of the fabrication system. While a variety of mailpiece fabrication errors can occur to adversely impact throughput, one of the more frequent sources originates from the application of adhesive, or lack thereof, onto the wrapping material substrate. For example, when the supply of adhesive in the adhesive-application module is depleted or does not properly flow, the mailpiece creation system must be stopped/discontinued until a new supply of adhesive is provided, or until the malfunction is corrected.
With respect to the latter, it is not uncommon for one or more glue-heads to malfunction, i.e., becoming clogged thereby stopping the flow of adhesive onto the substrate material. As a consequence, visual inspections must be routinely performed to ensure that the adhesive is properly deposited on the substrate, i.e., thoroughly and evenly. While such visual inspections add a level of redundancy with respect to the application of adhesive, such inspections are difficult due to the optical transparency of the adhesive on the substrate material. Furthermore, while it is known to incorporate additives into the adhesive which can be detected by sensing equipment, such additives are costly and can adversely impact the aesthetic appearance of the mailpiece.
A need, therefore, exists for a system and method for detecting adhesive on a substrate material which does not degrade performance, is cost-effective, and does not adversely impact the aesthetic appearance of a finished mailpiece.